Vehicle Control Systems

Abstract

To provide a vehicle system which can appropriately specify a distance from an obstacle on a travel path and can appropriately perform speed control, regardless of a direction and a turning amount of a vehicle, while determining a recognition area according to the travel path.SOLUTION: A vehicle system includes a recognition part 130 for recognizing a peripheral situation of an own vehicle, an action plan generating part 150 for allowing the own vehicle to travel on a travel path indicating a coordinate where the own vehicle travels, on the basis of the recognition result of the recognition part 130, a second control part 160, and a determination part 140 for determining a recognition area on the basis of the travel path of the own vehicle, wherein the action plan generating part 150 determines whether or not there exists an obstacle in the recognition area, on the basis of the recognition result of the recognition part 130, and performs speed control of maintaining a distance from the obstacle at a prescribed distance when determining that there exists the obstacle in the recognition area, and the determination part 140 determines the recognition area of a straight area of the travel path, and determines the recognition area of a curved area of the travel path.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle control system. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, research and practical application of autonomous driving, which allows a vehicle to travel autonomously, has been progressing. Conventionally, in autonomous driving, a technology is known in which a recognition area is set in advance in front of the vehicle, and the speed is controlled according to the distance to an obstacle detected within the recognition area (for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2001-222320 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1, depending on the orientation of the vehicle, the recognition area may include an area other than the driving route, and an obstacle outside the driving route may be detected and controlled for speed. In addition, in the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1, when the vehicle is turned, the recognition area is changed according to the amount of turning, but the amount of turning of the recognition area must be adjusted for each driving route. In addition, in the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1, the distance to an obstacle detected while the vehicle is turning is recognized by the straight-line distance, so that the distance from the vehicle to the obstacle when traveling along the driving route cannot be accurately specified, and there are cases where speed control cannot be performed appropriately. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] A vehicle control system for achieving the above object includes a recognition unit that recognizes a surrounding situation of the host vehicle, a driving control unit that causes the host vehicle to travel on a travel route indicating coordinates along which the host vehicle will travel based on a recognition result of the recognition unit, and a determination unit that determines a recognition area based on the travel route of the host vehicle, wherein the driving control unit determines whether or not an obstacle is present within the recognition area based on the recognition result of the recognition unit, and when it is determined that the obstacle is present within the recognition area, performs speed control to keep a distance to the obstacle at a predetermined distance, and the determination unit determines a surrounding situation of the host vehicle in front of the host vehicle from a start point to an end point of the straight line area in a straight line area of ​​the travel route. the recognition area is determined to be an area where the right end of the vehicle and the left end of the vehicle in front of the vehicle are located, and in a curved area of ​​the travel path, if the drive wheels of the vehicle are rear wheels, the recognition area is determined to be an area where, among the widthwise ends of the front of the vehicle, an outer end of the travel path and an end of one of the drive wheels of the vehicle that is located on the inner side of the travel path are located, and in a curved area of ​​the travel path, if the drive wheels of the vehicle are front wheels, the recognition area is determined to be an area where, among the widthwise ends of the front of the vehicle, an outer end of the travel path and an end of one of the drive wheels of the vehicle that is located on the outer side of the travel path and an end of one of the widthwise ends of the front of the vehicle that is on the inner side of the travel path are located.

[0006] With this configuration, the vehicle control system can determine a recognition area according to the driving route, and can appropriately identify the distance to an obstacle on the driving route regardless of the vehicle's direction or amount of turning, thereby appropriately controlling the speed.

[0007] In the above vehicle control system, the determination unit may determine, as the recognition area, an area surrounded by four coordinates at the start of the straight region: a first coordinate indicating the left end in front of the vehicle, a second coordinate where the right end in front of the vehicle is located, and a third coordinate indicating the left end in front of the vehicle, and a fourth coordinate where the right end in front of the vehicle is located, at the end of the straight region.

[0008] According to this configuration, the determination unit can determine in advance the processing load of the process required for determining the recognition area by determining in advance the number of coordinates to be identified when determining a straight-line region of the travel route as the recognition area.

[0009] In the above vehicle control system, the determination unit determines, in a curved region of the travel path, when the drive wheels of the host vehicle are rear wheels, a region surrounded by six coordinates: a fifth coordinate indicating an outer end of the travel path among the widthwise ends of the front of the host vehicle at a start of the curved region; a sixth coordinate indicating an end of the drive wheels of the host vehicle located on the inside of the travel path at the start of the curved region; a seventh coordinate indicating an outer end of the travel path among the widthwise ends of the front of the host vehicle when the vehicle travels at a position where the curvature of the curved region is higher than other positions; an eighth coordinate indicating an end of the drive wheels of the host vehicle located on the inside of the travel path among the drive wheels of the host vehicle when the vehicle travels at a position where the curvature of the curved region is higher than other positions; a ninth coordinate indicating an outer end of the travel path among the widthwise ends of the front of the host vehicle at a terminal end of the curved region; and a tenth coordinate indicating an end of the drive wheels of the host vehicle located on the inside of the travel path at the terminal end of the curved region. a sixth coordinate indicating an inner end of the travel path among the widthwise ends of the front of the host vehicle at the starting end of the curved region; a seventh coordinate indicating an end of the drive wheels of the drive wheels of the host vehicle that is located on the outer side of the travel path when the vehicle is traveling at a position where the curvature of the curved region is higher than other positions; an eighth coordinate indicating an inner end of the travel path among the widthwise ends of the front of the host vehicle when the vehicle is traveling at a position where the curvature of the curved region is higher than other positions; a ninth coordinate indicating an end of the drive wheels of the drive wheels of the host vehicle that is located on the outer side of the travel path at an end of the curved region; and a tenth coordinate indicating an inner end of the travel path among the widthwise ends of the front of the host vehicle at an end of the curved region.

[0010] According to this configuration, the determination unit can determine in advance the processing load of the process required for determining the recognition area by determining in advance the number of coordinates to be identified when a curved region of the travel route is to be the recognition area.

[0011] In the above vehicle control system, the determination unit may determine the recognition area within a range recognized by the recognition unit, in which a total number of coordinates of vertices of the straight line region and / or coordinates of vertices of the curved region is a predetermined number.

[0012] According to this configuration, the determination unit can keep the processing load related to determining the recognition area constant regardless of the shape of the travel route. In the above vehicle control system, the driving control unit may convert the recognition area into polar coordinates based on the coordinates of the vertices of the straight line region and / or the coordinates of the vertices of the curved region, and determine whether or not the obstacle is present within the recognition area based on the recognition area converted into polar coordinates and the recognition result of the recognition unit.

[0013] According to this configuration, the driving control unit can reduce the processing load for determining whether or not an obstacle is present. In the above vehicle control system, the driving control unit may calculate a distance of the driving route based on coordinates indicated by the driving route, and control the speed of the host vehicle to be constant in the straight line region and the curved region.

[0014] According to this configuration, the driving control unit can control the speed of the host vehicle to be constant in straight areas and curved areas. In the above vehicle control system, when the driving control unit determines that an obstacle is present within the recognition area based on the recognition result of the recognition unit, the driving control unit may control the vehicle by determining the distance from the vehicle to the obstacle as the distance to a position where a line segment passing through the coordinates of a vertex of the straight area or the coordinates of a vertex of the curved area existing near the obstacle that is closer to the vehicle than the obstacle intersects with the driving path.

[0015] According to this configuration, the driving control unit controls the host vehicle by considering the distance to a position closer than the obstacle as the distance from the host vehicle to the obstacle, thereby preventing a collision with the obstacle. In the above vehicle control system, when the driving control unit determines that an obstacle is present within the recognition area based on the recognition result of the recognition unit, the driving control unit may control the vehicle by determining the distance from the vehicle to the obstacle as the distance to the position where a line segment passing through the coordinates of a vertex of the straight area or the coordinates of the vertex of the curved area existing near the obstacle that is farther from the vehicle than the obstacle intersects with the driving path, minus the distance from the line segment to the obstacle.

[0016] According to this configuration, the driving control unit can prevent a collision with the obstacle by determining the distance to the obstacle with higher accuracy. Also, the driving control unit can control the speed of the host vehicle to be constant until the host vehicle approaches the obstacle.

[0017] The above vehicle control system includes a determination device having the determination unit, and a vehicle control device having the recognition unit and the driving control unit. According to this configuration, the vehicle control system can distribute the processing load between the processing related to determining the recognition area and the processing related to judging the presence or absence of an obstacle. Effect of the Invention

[0018] According to the present invention, a recognition area can be determined according to a driving route, and the distance to an obstacle on the driving route can be appropriately identified regardless of the vehicle's direction or amount of turning, thereby enabling appropriate speed control. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0019] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of a vehicle system. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a functional configuration diagram of a first control unit and a second control unit. [Diagram 3]FIG. 11 is a diagram useful in explaining a process for determining a recognition area. [Figure 4] FIG. 11 is a diagram useful in explaining a process for determining a recognition area. [Diagram 5] FIG. 11 is a diagram useful in explaining a process for determining a recognition area. [Figure 6] FIG. 11 is a diagram useful in explaining a process for determining a recognition area. [Figure 7] FIG. 11 is a diagram useful in explaining a process for determining a recognition area. [Figure 8] FIG. 11 is a diagram useful in explaining a process for determining a recognition area. [Figure 9] 11A and 11B are diagrams used to explain an obstacle determination process. [Figure 10] 11A and 11B are diagrams used to explain an obstacle determination process. [Figure 11] 4 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a process executed by the automatic driving control device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0020] <Embodiment> Hereinafter, an embodiment of a vehicle control system will be described with reference to the drawings. The vehicle control device of the embodiment is applied to, for example, an autonomous vehicle. The autonomous driving is, for example, performing driving control by controlling one or both of the steering and acceleration / deceleration of the vehicle. The above-mentioned driving control includes, for example, an adaptive cruise control system (ACC), a traffic jam pilot (TJP), an auto lane changing system (ALC), a collision mitigation brake system (CMBS), and a lane keeping assistance system (LKAS). In addition, the autonomous vehicle may be manually driven by an occupant. In the following, a case where a law for driving on the left side is applied will be described, but when a law for driving on the right side is applied, the left and right may be read in reverse.

[0021] [Overall configuration] Fig. 1 is a configuration diagram of a vehicle system 1 according to an embodiment. The vehicle on which the vehicle system 1 is mounted is, for example, a two-wheeled, three-wheeled, or four-wheeled vehicle, and the drive source is an internal combustion engine such as a diesel engine or a gasoline engine, an electric motor, or a combination of these. The electric motor operates using power generated by a generator connected to the internal combustion engine, or discharged power from a secondary battery or a fuel cell. Hereinafter, the vehicle on which the vehicle system 1 is mounted is referred to as the host vehicle M.

[0022] The vehicle system 1 includes, for example, a finder 10, a vehicle sensor 20, a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receiver 30, a driving operator 80, an automatic driving control device 100, a driving force output device 200, a braking device 210, and a steering device 220. These devices and equipment are connected to each other by a multiplex communication line such as a Controller Area Network (CAN) communication line, a serial communication line, a wireless communication network, or the like. Note that the configuration shown in FIG. 1 is merely an example, and some of the configuration may be omitted, or other configuration may be added.

[0023] The finder 10 is, for example, a LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging). The finder 10 irradiates light around the vehicle M and measures the scattered light. The finder 10 detects the distance to the target based on the time from light emission to light reception. The irradiated light is, for example, a pulsed laser light. The finder 10 outputs the detection result to the automatic driving control device 100. In this embodiment, a case will be described in which the finder 10 is attached to the front end of the vehicle M.

[0024] The vehicle sensor 20 includes a vehicle speed sensor that detects the speed of the host vehicle M, an acceleration sensor that detects acceleration, a yaw rate sensor that detects the angular velocity around a vertical axis, a direction sensor that detects the direction of the host vehicle M, and the like.

[0025] Based on the signals received from the GNSS satellites, the GNSS receiver 30 determines the position of the host vehicle M. The position of the host vehicle M may be determined or supplemented by an INS (Inertial Navigation System) that uses the output of the vehicle sensor 20.

[0026] The driving operators 80 include, for example, an accelerator pedal, a brake pedal, a shift lever, a steering wheel, a special steering wheel, a joystick, and other operators. Sensors are attached to the driving operators 80 to detect the amount of operation by the occupant or the presence or absence of operation. The detection results of the driving operators 80 are output to the automatic driving control device 100, or some or all of the driving force output device 200, the brake device 210, and the steering device 220.

[0027] The automatic driving control device 100 includes, for example, a first control unit 120, a second control unit 160, and a storage unit 180. The first control unit 120 and the second control unit 160 are each realized by, for example, a hardware processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) executing a program (software). In addition, some or all of these components may be realized by hardware (including circuitry) such as an LSI (Large Scale Integration), an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), or a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), or may be realized by cooperation between software and hardware. The program may be stored in advance in a storage device (storage device having a non-transient storage medium) such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or flash memory of the automatic driving control device 100, or may be stored in a removable storage medium such as a DVD or CD-ROM, and the storage medium (non-transient storage medium) may be installed in the HDD or flash memory of the automatic driving control device 100 by mounting the storage medium to a drive device.

[0028] The storage unit 180 is realized by the various storage devices described above. The storage unit 180 is realized by, for example, a HDD, a flash memory, an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory), a ROM (Read Only Memory), or a RAM (Random Access Memory). For example, a program and travel route information 181 are stored in the storage unit 180. The travel route information 181 is information indicating the coordinates of a travel route RT1 along which the host vehicle M travels.

[0029] 2, the first control unit 120 includes, for example, a recognition unit 130, a decision unit 140, and a behavior plan generation unit 150. A combination of the behavior plan generation unit 150 and the second control unit 160 is an example of a "driving control unit."

[0030] The recognition unit 130 recognizes the surrounding conditions of the target vehicle. For example, the recognition unit 130 recognizes the state of the position, speed, acceleration, and traveling direction of an object around the vehicle M based on the information input from the finder 10. The object around the vehicle M is, for example, a surrounding vehicle or a target. The position of the object is recognized as a position on a relative coordinate system with the representative point of the vehicle M as the origin, and is used for control. Hereinafter, a case will be described in which the representative point of the vehicle M is the center of the drive shaft, and the drive shaft of the vehicle M is the drive shaft of the rear wheels. The position of the object may be represented by a representative point such as the center of gravity, center, or corner of the object, or may be represented by an area in which the object is represented. When the object is a vehicle, the "state" of the object may include the acceleration or jerk of the object, or a behavior state such as whether or not the object is changing lanes or is about to change lanes.

[0031] The determination unit 140 determines a recognition area used for controlling the host vehicle M, based on the travel route of the host vehicle M. The process of determining the recognition area by the determination unit 140 will be described later in detail.

[0032] In principle, the behavior plan generating unit 150 refers to the travel route information 181 and generates a target trajectory so that the host vehicle M travels along a predetermined travel route. The behavior plan generating unit 150 also generates a target trajectory along which the host vehicle M will travel automatically (without relying on the driver's operation) in the future so that the host vehicle M can respond to the surrounding conditions of the host vehicle M. The target trajectory includes, for example, a speed element. For example, the target trajectory is expressed as a sequence of points to be reached by the host vehicle M. Hereinafter, the points to be reached by the host vehicle M will be referred to as "trajectory points." The trajectory points are points to be reached by the host vehicle M for each predetermined travel distance along a road, and separately, the target speed and target acceleration for each predetermined sampling time are generated as part of the target trajectory. The predetermined travel distance is, for example, about several [m]. The predetermined sampling time is, for example, about a few tenths [sec]. The trajectory points may also be positions to be reached by the host vehicle M at each sampling time for each predetermined sampling time. In this case, the information on the target speed and target acceleration is expressed as the interval between the trajectory points.

[0033] Further, the behavior plan generating unit 150 judges whether or not an obstacle exists in the recognition area determined by the determining unit 140 based on the recognition result of the recognizing unit 130. Details of the process by which the behavior plan generating unit 150 judges whether or not an obstacle exists in the recognition area will be described later. When the behavior plan generating unit 150 judges that an obstacle exists in the recognition area, it controls the vehicle in a driving manner that keeps the distance to the obstacle at a predetermined distance. In detail, the behavior plan generating unit 150 generates a target trajectory that keeps the distance to the obstacle at a predetermined distance, and drives the host vehicle M.

[0034] The second control unit 160 controls the traveling driving force output device 200, the braking device 210, and the steering device 220 so that the host vehicle M passes the target trajectory generated by the action plan generating unit 150 at the scheduled time.

[0035] The second control unit 160 includes, for example, an acquisition unit 162, a speed control unit 164, and a steering control unit 166. The acquisition unit 162 acquires information on the target trajectory (i.e., trajectory points) generated by the action plan generation unit 150, and stores it in a memory (not shown). The speed control unit 164 controls the traveling drive force output device 200 or the brake device 210 based on the speed element associated with the target trajectory stored in the memory. The steering control unit 166 controls the steering device 220 according to the curvature of the target trajectory stored in the memory. The processing of the speed control unit 164 and the steering control unit 166 is realized, for example, by a combination of feedforward control and feedback control. As an example, the steering control unit 166 executes a combination of feedforward control according to the curvature of the road ahead of the host vehicle M and feedback control based on the deviation from the target trajectory.

[0036] The driving force output device 200 outputs a driving force (torque) for the vehicle to travel to the driving wheels. The driving force output device 200 includes, for example, a combination of an internal combustion engine, an electric motor, a transmission, etc., and an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) that controls these. The ECU controls the above components according to information input from the second control unit 160 or information input from the driving operation device 80.

[0037] The brake device 210 includes, for example, a brake caliper, a cylinder that transmits hydraulic pressure to the brake caliper, an electric motor that generates hydraulic pressure in the cylinder, and a brake ECU. The brake ECU controls the electric motor according to information input from the second control unit 160 or information input from the driving operation element 80, so that a brake torque corresponding to a braking operation is output to each wheel. The brake device 210 may include a backup mechanism that transmits hydraulic pressure generated by operation of a brake pedal included in the driving operation element 80 to the cylinder via a master cylinder. Note that the brake device 210 is not limited to the configuration described above, and may be an electronically controlled hydraulic brake device that controls an actuator according to information input from the second control unit 160 to transmit hydraulic pressure in the master cylinder to the cylinder.

[0038] The steering device 220 includes, for example, a steering ECU and an electric motor. The electric motor changes the direction of the steered wheels by applying a force to, for example, a rack and pinion mechanism. The steering ECU drives the electric motor in accordance with information input from the second control unit 160 or information input from the driving operator 80 to change the direction of the steered wheels.

[0039] [Recognition area determination process] The following describes in detail the process by which the determination unit 140 determines the recognition result. The determination unit 140 determines the recognition result based on the current traveling speed v of the host vehicle M and the obstacle detection deceleration A D and the stop margin D D and the idle time T F Based on the detection distance L D Determine the obstacle detection deceleration A D is the negative acceleration that occurs when the host vehicle M is stopped due to the presence of an obstacle in the recognition area. D For example, minus 0.01 [m / s 2 ]. Stopping margin D D is the distance between the host vehicle M and an obstacle when the host vehicle M is stopped due to the presence of the obstacle in the recognition area. F is the distance that the host vehicle M travels until the automatic driving control device 100 determines that an obstacle exists within the recognition area, and / or the distance that the host vehicle M travels from when the automatic driving control device 100 starts the stop control of the host vehicle M until the host vehicle M actually stops. The determination unit 140 determines the detection distance L based on the following formula (1): D The detection distance L D The distance at which the recognition unit 130 can recognize is a longer distance than the distance at which the recognition unit 130 can recognize.

[0040] L D =(v 2 / 2A D )+D D +vT F …(1) L D :Detection distance v: Traveling speed A D : Obstacle detection deceleration D D :Stop margin T F : Idle time As shown in FIG. 3, the determination unit 140 determines whether the vehicle M is within a range recognized by the recognition unit 130 and within a detection distance L D Next, the determination unit 140 determines the travel route RT1 from the specified detection distance L D In FIG. 3, the determination unit 140 divides a travel route RT1 from the host vehicle M to the detection distance L D A travel route RT1 up to is divided into a straight line region LN1, a curved line region CV1, a straight line region LN2, a curved line region CV2, and a straight line region LN3 in this order by a start position S1, an end position E1, and four dividing positions DV1 to DV4.

[0041] Next, the determination unit 140 determines the detection distance L D The divided curved region CV is further divided into two or more regions so that the travel route RT1 to the target point is divided into eight parts. In detail, the determination unit 140 divides the curved region CV by setting a position in the curved region CV that has a higher curvature than other positions as a division position DV. As shown in FIG. 4, the determination unit 140 divides the curved region CV1 into curved regions CV1-1 and CV1-2 at a division position DV5, and divides the curved region CV2 into curved regions CV2-1, CV2-2, and CV2-3 at a division position DV6 and a division position DV7. As a result, the determination unit 140 determines the detection distance L D The travel route RT1 up to is divided into eight regions in the following order: straight line region LN1, curved line region CV1-1, curved line region CV1-2, straight line region LN2, curved line region CV2-1, curved line region CV2-2, curved line region CV2-3, and straight line region LN3.

[0042] Next, the determination unit 140 refers to the travel route information 181 to identify the coordinates of the start position S1, the end position E1, and each divided position DV. As described above, the travel route information 181 is information indicating the coordinates of the travel route RT1. Therefore, the determination unit 140 determines the start position S1 and the detected distance L from the start position S1 of the travel route RT1. D The determination unit 140 can specify the coordinates of the end position E1, which is separated by 100 mm from the start position S1, by referring to the travel route information 181. Furthermore, the determination unit 140 can specify the coordinates of the positions corresponding to each division position DV by referring to the travel route information 181 based on the above-mentioned method of determining the division position DV. As shown in FIG. 4, the determination unit 140 specifies the start position S1 as the start position coordinates (x1, y1), the division position DV1 as the division position coordinates (x2, y2), the division position DV5 as the division position coordinates (x3, y3), the division position DV2 as the division position coordinates (x4, y4), the division position DV3 as the division position coordinates (x5, x5), the division position DV6 as the division position coordinates (x6, y6), the division position DV7 as the division position coordinates (x7, y7), the division position DV4 as the division position coordinates (x8, y8), and the end position E1 as the end position coordinates (x9, y9).

[0043] Next, the determination unit 140 identifies the coordinates through which the center of the width direction of the front end of the host vehicle M passes when the host vehicle M passes through the coordinates of the start position S1, the end position E1, and each division position DV. In the following description, the center of the width direction of the front end of the host vehicle M is referred to as the "front end center of the host vehicle M."

[0044] First, the determination unit 140 specifies the coordinates of the center of the drive wheels of the host vehicle M when the host vehicle M moves back backward in the traveling direction by the distance from the center of the front end of the host vehicle M to the center of the drive wheels of the host vehicle M on the travel route RT1 from the state where the center of the drive wheels of the host vehicle M is located on the coordinates of the start position S1, the end position E1, and each division position DV. Then, the determination unit 140 specifies the coordinates moving from the center of the drive wheels to the front end center of the host vehicle M in the tangential direction of the travel route RT1 in the straight line area LN or the curved area CV from the specified coordinates as the front end center coordinates through which the front end center of the host vehicle M passes. In other words, the determination unit 140 specifies the front end center coordinates of the position of the front end center of the host vehicle M when passing through the start position S1, the end position E1, and each division position DV when the host vehicle M travels so that the center of the drive wheels of the host vehicle M is located on the coordinates of the start position S1, the end position E1, and each division position DV.

[0045] As shown in FIG. 5, the determination unit 140 sets the position of the front end center of the host vehicle M when the host vehicle M passes through the start position S1 as front end center coordinates (x1', y1'), the position of the front end center of the host vehicle M when the host vehicle M passes through the division position DV1 as front end center coordinates (x2', y2'), the position of the front end center of the host vehicle M when the host vehicle M passes through the division position DV5 as front end center coordinates (x3', y3'), the position of the front end center of the host vehicle M when the host vehicle M passes through the division position DV2 as front end center coordinates (x4', y4'), the position of the front end center of the host vehicle M when the host vehicle M passes through the division position DV3 as front end center coordinates (x5', y6'), and the position of the front end center of the host vehicle M when the host vehicle M passes through the division position DV4 as front end center coordinates (x6', y7'). The position of the tip center of vehicle M is identified as tip center coordinates (x5', x5'), the position of the tip center of vehicle M when vehicle M passes through division position DV6 is identified as tip center coordinates (x6', y6'), the position of the tip center of vehicle M when vehicle M passes through division position DV7 is identified as tip center coordinates (x7', y7'), the position of the tip center of vehicle M when vehicle M passes through division position DV4 is identified as tip center coordinates (x8', y8'), and the position of the tip center of vehicle M when vehicle M passes through terminal position E1 is identified as tip center coordinates (x9', y9').

[0046] The position of the center of the leading edge of the vehicle M substantially coincides with the division position DV at the start position S1, the end position E1, and the division position DV after passing through the straight region LN. On the other hand, the position of the leading edge of the vehicle M is outside the travel route RT1 at the division position DV within the curved region CV and at the division position DV after passing through the curved region CV.

[0047] Next, the determination unit 140 specifies the outer coordinates through which the outer end of the host vehicle M passes when the host vehicle M passes through the specified start position coordinates, division position coordinates, and end position coordinates. The determination unit 140 specifies the position of the outer end of the host vehicle M among the ends in the width direction of the front of the host vehicle M when the front end center of the host vehicle M is located on the specified start position coordinates, division position coordinates, or end position coordinates, as the outer coordinates through which the outer end of the host vehicle M passes on the travel route RT1. Specifically, the determination unit 140 specifies, as the outer coordinates, a position on an auxiliary line perpendicularly intersecting a tangent to the travel route RT1 at the coordinates of the center of the driving wheels of the host vehicle M when the front end center of the host vehicle M passes through the specified front end center coordinates, and which is a predetermined distance away from the front end center coordinates of the host vehicle M in the direction outward of the travel route RT1.

[0048] As shown in FIG. 6, the determination unit 140 determines the position of the outer end of the travel route RT1 among the ends in the width direction in front of the host vehicle M when the front end center of the host vehicle M passes through the front end center coordinates (x1', y1') as outer coordinates (x11, y11), the position of the outer end of the travel route RT1 among the ends in the width direction in front of the host vehicle M when the front end center of the host vehicle M passes through the front end center coordinates (x2', y2') as outer coordinates (x21, y21), and the position of the outer end of the travel route RT1 among the ends in the width direction in front of the host vehicle M when the front end center of the host vehicle M passes through the front end center coordinates (x3' Among the ends in the width direction of the front of the vehicle M, when the center of the front end of the vehicle M passes through the coordinates (x4', y4'), the position of the outer end of the travel route RT1 is set as outer coordinates (x41, y41). Among the ends in the width direction of the front of the vehicle M, when the center of the front end of the vehicle M passes through the coordinates (x5', y5'), the position of the outer end of the travel route RT1 is set as outer coordinates (x5', y5'). Among the ends in the width direction in front of the vehicle M, the position of the outer end of the travel route RT1 is the outer coordinates (x51, y51), the position of the outer end of the travel route RT1 is the outer coordinates (x61, y61), and among the ends in the width direction in front of the vehicle M when the center of the front end of the vehicle M passes through the tip center coordinates (x7', y7'), the position of the outer end of the travel route RT1 is the outer coordinates (x7', y7'). The position of the outer end of the front width direction edge of the vehicle M when the front center of the vehicle M passes through the tip center coordinates (x8', y8') is identified as the outer coordinates (x81, y81), and the position of the outer end of the front width direction edge of the vehicle M when the front center of the vehicle M passes through the tip center coordinates (x9', y9') is identified as the outer coordinates (x91, y91).

[0049] Among the widthwise ends of the front of the vehicle M, the position of the outer end of the travel route RT1 is the position through which the outermost end of the vehicle M passes when the vehicle M travels on the travel route RT1. The outermost end of the vehicle M is, in the case where the drive wheels of the vehicle M are rear wheels, the outermost end of the front of the vehicle M in the width direction.

[0050] Next, the determination unit 140 specifies the inner coordinates through which the inner end of the host vehicle M passes when the host vehicle M passes through the specified start position coordinates, division position coordinates, and end position coordinates. The determination unit 140 specifies the position of the inner end of the travel route RT1 among the positions of the rear wheels of the host vehicle M in a state in which the drive wheel center of the host vehicle M is located on the specified start position coordinates, division position coordinates, or end position coordinates, as the inner coordinates through which the inner end of the host vehicle M passes on the travel route RT1. Specifically, the determination unit 140 specifies, as the inner coordinates, a position on an auxiliary line perpendicularly intersecting a tangent to the coordinates of the center of the drive wheels of the host vehicle M and the travel route RT1 when the drive wheel center of the host vehicle M passes through the specified start position coordinates, division position coordinates, and end position coordinates, and a position a predetermined distance away in the inner direction of the travel route RT1.

[0051] As shown in FIG. 7, the determination unit 140 determines the position of the inner end of the travel route RT1 among the positions of the rear wheels of the host vehicle M when the drive wheel center of the host vehicle M passes through the tip center coordinates (x1', y1') as inner coordinates (x12, y12), the position of the inner end of the travel route RT1 among the positions of the rear wheels of the host vehicle M when the drive wheel center of the host vehicle M passes through the tip center coordinates (x2', y2') as inner coordinates (x22, y22), and the position of the inner end of the travel route RT1 among the positions of the rear wheels of the host vehicle M when the drive wheel center of the host vehicle M passes through the tip center coordinates (x3 Among the positions of the rear wheels of the host vehicle M when the drive wheel center of the host vehicle M passes through the tip center coordinates (x4', y4'), the position of the inner end of the driving path RT1 is defined as the inner coordinates (x42, y42); and among the positions of the rear wheels of the host vehicle M when the drive wheel center of the host vehicle M passes through the tip center coordinates (x5', y5'), the position of the inner end of the driving path RT1 is defined as the inner coordinates (x5', y5'). Among the positions of the rear wheels of the vehicle M, the position of the inner end of the travel route RT1 is the inner coordinate (x52, y52), the position of the inner end of the travel route RT1 is the inner coordinate (x62, y62), and the position of the inner end of the travel route RT1 is the inner coordinate (x7', y7'), when the drive wheel center of the vehicle M passes through the tip center coordinate (x7', y7'). The position of the inner end of the driving path RT1 among the positions of the rear wheels of the host vehicle M when the center of the driving wheels of the host vehicle M passes through the tip center coordinates (x8', y8') is identified as the inner coordinates (x82, y82), and the position of the inner end of the driving path RT1 among the positions of the rear wheels of the host vehicle M when the center of the driving wheels of the host vehicle M passes through the tip center coordinates (x9', y9') is identified as the inner coordinates (x92, y92).

[0052] The outer coordinate (x11, y11), outer coordinate (x41, y41), and inner coordinate (x82, y82) are examples of "first coordinates", the inner coordinate (x12, y12), inner coordinate (x42, y42), and outer coordinate (x81, y81) are examples of "second coordinates", the outer coordinate (x21, y21), inner coordinate (x52, y52), and inner coordinate (x92, y92) are examples of "third coordinates", and the inner coordinate (x22, y22), outer coordinate (x51, y51), and outer coordinate (x91, y91) are examples of "fourth coordinates". The outer coordinate (x21, y21) and the outer coordinate (x51, y51) are an example of a "fifth coordinate", the inner coordinate (x22, y22) and the inner coordinate (x52, y52) are an example of a "sixth coordinate", the outer coordinate (x31, y31), the outer coordinate (x61, y61), and the outer coordinate (x71, y71) are an example of a "seventh coordinate", the inner coordinate (x32, y32), the inner coordinate (x62, y62), and the inner coordinate (x72, y72) are an example of an "eighth coordinate", the outer coordinate (x41, y41) and the outer coordinate (x81, y81) are an example of a "ninth coordinate", and the inner coordinate (x42, y42) and the inner coordinate (x82, y82) are an example of a "tenth coordinate". In the following description, the first coordinate and the second coordinate, the third coordinate and the fourth coordinate, the fifth coordinate and the sixth coordinate, the seventh coordinate and the eighth coordinate, and the ninth coordinate and the tenth coordinate will also be referred to as "paired coordinates."

[0053] The position of the inner end of the travel route RT1 is the position through which the innermost end of the host vehicle M passes when the host vehicle M travels along the travel route RT1. When the drive wheels of the host vehicle M are rear wheels, the innermost end of the host vehicle M is the end of the drive wheels of the host vehicle M that are located on the inner side of the travel route RT1.

[0054] In addition, the specified distance used to determine the position of the outer end of the travel route RT1 and the specified distance used to determine the position of the inner end of the travel route RT1 are the same or approximately the same, and when added together they are longer than the widthwise length of the vehicle M.

[0055] As shown in FIG. 8, the determination unit 140 determines the specified outer coordinates (x11, y11), outer coordinates (x21, y21), outer coordinates (x31, y31), outer coordinates (x41, y41), inner coordinates (x52, y52), inner coordinates (x62, y62), inner coordinates (x72, y72), inner coordinates (x82, y82), inner coordinates (x92, y92), outer coordinates (x The area surrounded by the coordinates of 18 points, namely, coordinate (x91, y91), outer coordinate (x81, y81), outer coordinate (x71, y71), outer coordinate (x61, y61), outer coordinate (x51, y51), inner coordinate (x42, y42), inner coordinate (x32, y32), inner coordinate (x22, y22), and outer coordinate (x91, y91), is determined as the recognition area AR1. 18 points is an example of the "predetermined number of total coordinates".

[0056] Of the widthwise ends of the recognition area AR1 determined by the determination unit 140, one is the end of the front widthwise end of the vehicle M through which the outer end of the driving path RT1 passes, and the other is the end through which the end of the driving wheel of the vehicle M that is located on the inner side of the driving path RT1 passes.

[0057] [Obstacle detection process] The details of the process by which the behavior plan generating unit 150 determines whether or not an obstacle exists within the recognition area AR1 will be described below. The behavior plan generating unit 150 converts the range of the orthogonal coordinates indicating the recognition area AR1 into polar coordinates with the origin of the detection range by the finder 10. As shown in FIG. 9, the behavior plan generating unit 150 converts the range of the orthogonal coordinates indicating the recognition area AR1 into polar coordinates based on the following formula (2). Through the polar coordinate conversion, the behavior plan generating unit 150 sets the range of the recognition area AR1 within the detection range of the finder 10 as a triangular range S with vertices at coordinates (L3, θ3), coordinates (L4, θ4), and the origin of the detection range by the finder 10. The range from angle θ3 to angle θ4 is the range of the recognition area AR1 within the detection range by the finder 10. The distance L3 is the distance to the end of the recognition area AR1 in the direction of angle θ3. The distance L4 is the distance to the end of the recognition area AR1 in the direction of angle θ4.

[0058] S=1 / 2L3L4sin(θ4-θ3)=1 / 2(L3L´sin(θ´-θ3)+L4L´sin(θ4-θ´))…(2) S: Range of recognition area in polar coordinate system θ3: Angle of viewfinder 10 θ4: Angle of the viewfinder 10 (θ4>θ3) L3: Distance to the edge of the recognition area AR1 in the direction of angle θ3 L4: Distance to the edge of the recognition area AR1 in the direction of angle θ4 The finder 10 detects an object present within the detection range with a predetermined resolution. The predetermined resolution is, for example, about a few tenths of a degree to a few degrees. The behavior plan generating unit 150 specifies a distance L' to an end of the recognition area AR1 in the angle θ' direction in the range from angle θ3 to angle θ4 using the following formula (3) based on formula (2).

[0059] L´=L3L4sin(θ4-θ3) / (L3sin(θ´-θ3)+L4sin(θ4-θ´))…(3) θ´: Angle of viewfinder 10 L': Distance to the end of the recognition area AR1 in the direction of angle θ' When the distance to an object in the direction of angle θ′ from the detection result of the finder 10 is shorter than the distance L′ to the end of the identified recognition area AR1, the behavior plan generating unit 150 determines that an obstacle exists within the recognition area AR1.

[0060] [Distance to obstacle] When the behavior plan generating unit 150 determines that an obstacle exists within the recognition area AR1, it specifies the distance to the obstacle when the host vehicle M travels along the travel route RT1. In detail, the behavior plan generating unit 150 specifies a line segment passing through a pair of coordinates that exists near the obstacle OB and is closer to the host vehicle M than the obstacle OB, among the coordinates of the vertices of the straight line region LN that constitutes the recognition area AR1 or the coordinates of the vertices of the curved region CV, based on the recognition result of the recognition unit 130. Then, the behavior plan generating unit 150 specifies the position where the specified line segment intersects with the travel route RT1 as the position of the obstacle OB.

[0061] As shown in FIG. 10, the behavior plan generating unit 150 specifies the outer coordinate (x71, y71) and inner coordinate (x72, y72) as well as the outer coordinate (x81, y81) and inner coordinate (x82, y82) as paired coordinates existing in the vicinity of the obstacle OB. Then, the behavior plan generating unit 150 specifies the outer coordinate (x71, y71) and inner coordinate (x72, y72) as paired coordinates closer to the host vehicle M than the obstacle OB among the specified paired coordinates. The behavior plan generating unit 150 specifies the distance on the travel route RT1 to the position where the line segment LS1 connecting the specified outer coordinate (x71, y71) and inner coordinate (x72, y72) intersects with the travel route RT1 as the distance to the obstacle OB. Here, the behavior plan generating unit 150 has already specified each coordinate surrounding the recognition area AR1 in the above-mentioned process. Therefore, based on the result of the above-mentioned processing, the behavior plan generating unit 150 can specify the position where the line segment LS1 and the traveling route RT1 intersect. In addition, since the coordinates of the traveling route RT1 are indicated in the traveling route information 181, the behavior plan generating unit 150 can specify the distance on the traveling route RT1 to the position where the line segment LS1 and the traveling route RT1 intersect.

[0062] The behavior plan generating unit 150 performs speed control according to the distance of the travel route RT1 so that the speed is constant in the straight line area LN and the curved area CV of the travel route RT1. When the behavior plan generating unit 150 determines that an obstacle OB exists in the recognition area AR1, the behavior plan generating unit 150 generates a target trajectory based on the identified distance of the obstacle OB so as to keep the distance from the host vehicle M to the obstacle OB at a predetermined distance, and causes the host vehicle M to travel.

[0063] [Operation flow] Hereinafter, the process executed by the automatic driving control device 100 will be described with reference to FIG. 11. The process of this flowchart is executed, for example, at predetermined time intervals. First, the determination unit 140 determines the detection distance L D Next, the determination unit 140 determines the detected distance LD Next, the determination unit 140 divides the travel route RT1 from the detected distance L D The divided curved region CV is further divided into two or more divisions so that the travel route RT1 up to is divided into eight divisions (step S104). If the travel route RT1 has already been divided into eight divisions in the process of step S102, the determination unit 140 may proceed from the process of step S102 to the process of step S106 without executing the process of step S104. Next, the determination unit 140 refers to the travel route information 181 and specifies the coordinates of the start position S1, the end position E1, and each divided position DV (step S106).

[0064] Next, the determination unit 140 specifies the coordinates of the leading edge center of the host vehicle M when the host vehicle M passes through the start position S1, the end position E1, and each division position DV (step S108). Next, the determination unit 140 specifies the position of the outer end of the travel route RT1 among the ends in the width direction of the front of the host vehicle M when the leading edge center of the host vehicle M passes through the specified start position S1, the end position E1, and each division position DV as the outer coordinate (step S110). Next, the determination unit 140 specifies the inner position of the travel route RT1 among the positions of the rear wheels of the host vehicle M in a state in which the drive wheel center of the host vehicle M is located at the specified start position S1, the end position E1, and each division position DV as the inner coordinate (step S112). Next, the determination unit 140 determines an area surrounded by the coordinates of the specified 18 points as the recognition area AR1 (step S114).

[0065] Next, the behavior plan generating unit 150 converts the range of the Cartesian coordinates indicating the recognition area AR1 into a range of polar coordinates with the origin of the detection range of the finder 10 (step S116). Next, the behavior plan generating unit 150 judges whether or not an obstacle OB exists within the recognition area AR1 (step S118). When the distance to the object in the angle θ' direction among the recognition results of the recognition unit 130 is shorter than the distance L' to the end of the identified recognition area AR1, the behavior plan generating unit 150 judges that an obstacle exists within the recognition area AR1. When the behavior plan generating unit 150 judges that an obstacle OB exists within the recognition area AR1, it specifies the distance to the obstacle OB (step S120). Next, the behavior plan generating unit 150 generates a target trajectory that keeps the distance from the host vehicle M to the obstacle OB at a predetermined distance based on the specified distance to the obstacle OB, and controls the speed of the host vehicle M (step S122). When the behavior plan generating unit 150 determines that no obstacle OB exists within the recognition area AR1, it performs speed control based on the distance of the travel route RT1 (step S124). That is, the behavior plan generating unit 150 performs speed control according to the distance of the travel route RT1 so that the speed is constant in the straight line area LN and the curved area CV of the travel route RT1.

[0066] [Effects of the embodiment] According to the above embodiment, the following advantageous effects can be obtained. (1) The vehicle system 1 includes a recognition unit 130, a determination unit 140, a behavior plan generation unit 150, and a second control unit 160. The recognition unit 130 recognizes the surrounding situation of the host vehicle M. The driving control unit (the behavior plan generation unit 150 and the second control unit 160) causes the host vehicle M to travel on a travel route RT1 indicating the coordinates along which the host vehicle M will travel, based on the recognition result of the recognition unit 130. The determination unit 140 determines a recognition area AR1 based on the travel route RT1 of the host vehicle M. In addition, the behavior plan generation unit 150 and the second control unit 160 determine whether or not an obstacle OB exists within the recognition area AR1 based on the recognition result of the recognition unit 130, and when it is determined that an obstacle OB exists within the recognition area AR1, perform speed control to keep the distance to the obstacle OB at a predetermined distance. The determination unit 140 determines, in the straight region LN of the travel route RT1, an area in which the right end in front of the host vehicle M and the left end in front of the host vehicle M are located from the start end to the end end of the straight region LN as the recognition area AR1. In addition, in the curved region CV of the travel route RT1, when the drive wheels of the host vehicle M are rear wheels, the determination unit 140 determines, as the recognition area AR1, an area in which the outer end of the travel route RT1 among the widthwise ends of the host vehicle M and the end of the drive wheels of the host vehicle M that are located on the inner side of the travel route RT1 are located.

[0067] Here, when the host vehicle M travels along a travel route RT1 including a curved region CV, the ends of the front width direction of the host vehicle M that are on the outer side of the travel route RT1 protrude outside the travel route RT1. Also, when the host vehicle M travels along a travel route RT1 that includes a curved region CV, the ends of the drive wheels of the host vehicle M that are located on the inner side of the travel route RT1 protrude inside the travel route RT1.

[0068] According to this configuration, the determination unit 140 determines the recognition area AR1 according to the shape of the travel route RT1. As a result, the determination unit 140 can include in the recognition area AR1 a position where the host vehicle M protrudes outside or inside the travel route RT1 in the curved region CV, and can suppress a collision between the host vehicle M and an obstacle OB in the recognition area AR1. In addition, the determination unit 140 suppresses an area that does not conform to the shape of the travel route RT1 from being set as the recognition area AR1, and can suppress the presence of an obstacle OB outside the recognition area AR1 from affecting the speed control. Furthermore, according to this configuration, the action plan generation unit 150 can appropriately specify the distance to the obstacle OB on the travel route RT1 regardless of the direction or amount of turning of the host vehicle M, and can appropriately perform speed control.

[0069] (2) In the straight line region LN, the determination unit 140 determines as the recognition area AR1 the area surrounded by four coordinates: a first coordinate indicating the left end in front of the host vehicle M at the start of the straight line region LN, a second coordinate where the right end in front of the host vehicle M is located, and a third coordinate indicating the left end in front of the host vehicle M at the end of the straight line region LN, and a fourth coordinate where the right end in front of the host vehicle M is located.

[0070] According to this configuration, when the determination unit 140 determines a straight-line region LN of the travel route RT1 as the recognition area AR1, the determination unit 140 can determine in advance the processing load of the processing related to determining the recognition area AR1 by determining in advance the number of coordinates to be identified.

[0071] (3) In the curved region CV of the travel route RT1, when the driving wheels of the host vehicle M are rear wheels, the determination unit 140 determines a fifth coordinate indicating the outer end of the travel route RT1 among the widthwise ends of the front of the host vehicle M at the start of the curved region CV, a sixth coordinate indicating the end of the driving wheel of the host vehicle M that is located on the inner side of the travel route RT1 among the driving wheels of the host vehicle M at the start of the curved region CV, and a seventh coordinate indicating the outer end of the travel route RT1 among the widthwise ends of the front of the host vehicle M when the host vehicle M is traveling at a position where the curvature of the curved region CV is higher than other positions. The recognition area is determined to be an area surrounded by six coordinates: the 7th coordinate; when the vehicle M is traveling at a position where the curvature of the curved area CV is higher than at other positions, the 8th coordinate indicating the end of the driving wheel of the vehicle M that is located on the inside of the driving path RT1; the 9th coordinate indicating the end of the front width direction end of the vehicle M that is on the outside of the driving path RT1 at the end of the curved area CV; and the 10th coordinate indicating the end of the driving wheel of the vehicle M that is located on the inside of the driving path RT1 at the end of the curved area CV.

[0072] According to this configuration, when the determination unit 140 determines the curved area CV of the driving route RT1 as the recognition area AR1, the determination unit 140 can determine in advance the processing load of the processing related to determining the recognition area AR1 by predetermining the number of coordinates to be identified.

[0073] (4) The determination unit 140 determines a detection distance L within the recognition range of the recognition unit 130 such that the total number of coordinates of the vertices of the straight line region LN and / or the coordinates of the vertices of the curve region CV is 18. D A recognition area AR1 is determined within the range.

[0074] According to this configuration, the determination unit 140 can determine in advance the number of coordinates to be specified, thereby determining in advance the processing load of the process related to the determination of the recognition area AR1. (5) The behavior plan generation unit 150 converts the recognition area AR1 into polar coordinates based on the coordinates of the vertices of the straight line region LN and / or the coordinates of the vertices of the curved region CV, and determines whether or not an obstacle OB exists within the recognition area AR1 based on the recognition area AR1 converted into polar coordinates and the recognition result of the recognition unit 130.

[0075] Here, the recognition unit 130 may output the detection result of the finder 10 to the behavior plan generation unit 150 as the recognition result. The detection result of the finder 10 may be expressed by a polar coordinate system indicating the detection direction of the finder 10 and the distance to the detected object. With this configuration, the behavior plan generation unit 150 converts the recognition area AR1 into polar coordinates in advance, without sequentially converting the detection result of the finder 10 from the polar coordinate system to an orthogonal coordinate system. This allows the behavior plan generation unit 150 to reduce the processing load of determining whether or not an obstacle OB exists within the recognition area AR1.

[0076] (6) The action plan generating unit 150 and the second control unit 160 calculate the distance of the travel route RT1 based on the coordinates indicated by the travel route RT1, and control the speed of the host vehicle M to be constant in the straight line region LN and the curved region CV.

[0077] In the conventional technology, the curved area is recognized as a shorter distance than the straight area, and therefore the vehicle speed may not be appropriately controlled to be constant in the curved area. On the other hand, according to the above configuration, the behavior plan generating unit 150 calculates the distance of the travel route RT1 based on the coordinates indicated by the travel route RT1, and therefore the distance of the travel route RT1 can be appropriately specified regardless of the straight area LN and the curved area CV. Therefore, the behavior plan generating unit 150 and the second control unit 160 can control the speed of the host vehicle M to be constant in the straight area LN and the curved area CV.

[0078] (7) When the action plan generation unit 150 and the second control unit 160 determine that an obstacle OB exists within the recognition area AR1 based on the recognition result of the recognition unit 130, they control the host vehicle M by determining, as the distance from the host vehicle M to the obstacle OB, the distance on the driving path RT1 to the position where the line segment LS passing through the coordinates of the vertex of the straight line region LN or the coordinates of the vertex of the curved region CV existing in the vicinity of the obstacle OB that is closest to the host vehicle M, intersects with the driving path RT1.

[0079] According to this configuration, the behavior plan generating unit 150 and the second control unit 160 can prevent a collision with the obstacle OB with plenty of time by determining the position of the obstacle OB to be a position closer than the obstacle OB.

[0080] The above-described embodiments may be modified as follows: The above-described embodiments and the following examples may be combined with each other as long as they are not technically inconsistent. In the above, the case where the drive wheels of the host vehicle M are rear wheels has been described, but this is not limited to the above. The drive wheels of the host vehicle M may be front wheels. In this case, in the above description, "among the widthwise ends of the host vehicle M, the ends on the outer side of the travel route RT1" may be read as "among the drive wheels of the host vehicle M, the ends of the drive wheels located on the outer side of the travel route RT1". Also, "among the drive wheels of the host vehicle M, the ends of the drive wheels located on the inner side of the travel route RT1" may be read as "among the widthwise ends of the host vehicle M, the ends on the inner side of the travel route RT1".

[0081] The determination unit 140 determines the detection distance L based on the above-mentioned formula (1). D In the above description, the case where the detection distance L is determined is described, but the present invention is not limited to this. If the distance is longer than the distance calculated based on the formula (1), the determination unit 140 determines that the detection distance L D may be determined to any value.

[0082] The determination unit 140 may determine, in the straight line region LN, an area surrounded by more than four coordinates, the first coordinate to the fourth coordinate, as the recognition area AR1. In this case, the determination unit 140 may determine, in the straight line region LN, an area surrounded by a plurality of third coordinates and a number of fourth coordinates corresponding to the third coordinates, as the recognition area AR1. With this configuration, the determination unit 140 can determine, as the recognition area AR1, a straight line region LN that is more in line with the shape of the travel route RT1.

[0083] The determination unit 140 may determine, in the curved region CV, an area surrounded by more than six coordinates, from the fifth coordinate to the tenth coordinate, as the recognition area AR1. In this case, the determination unit 140 may determine, in the curved region CV, an area surrounded by a plurality of seventh coordinates and a number of eighth coordinates corresponding to the seventh coordinates, as the recognition area AR1. With this configuration, the determination unit 140 can determine, as the recognition area AR1, a curved region CV that is more in line with the shape of the travel route RT1.

[0084] The determination unit 140 determines the detection distance L D In the above description, the travel route RT1 is divided by the dividing position DV so that the travel route RT1 from the point to the target point is divided into eight parts, and an area surrounded by 18 coordinate points is determined as the recognition area AR1, but the present invention is not limited to this. If the number of coordinate points constituting the recognition area AR1 is determined in advance, the determination unit 140 may determine an area surrounded by fewer than 18 coordinate points or an area surrounded by more than 18 coordinate points as the recognition area AR1. With this configuration, the determination unit 140 can determine in advance the number of coordinate points to be specified, thereby determining in advance the processing load of the process related to the determination of the recognition area AR1.

[0085] The above description has been given of a case in which the behavior plan generating unit 150 specifies the distance to the obstacle OB based on the paired coordinates existing near the obstacle OB and closer to the vehicle M than the obstacle OB, but the present invention is not limited to this. The behavior plan generating unit 150 may specify, as the distance to the obstacle OB, the distance on the travel path RT1 to the paired coordinates existing near the obstacle OB and farther from the vehicle M than the obstacle OB. In more detail, the behavior plan generating unit 150 specifies, based on the recognition result of the recognition unit 130, a line segment passing through the paired coordinates existing near the obstacle OB and farther from the vehicle M than the obstacle OB, among the coordinates of the vertices of the straight line region LN constituting the recognition area AR1 or the coordinates of the vertices of the curved region CV.

[0086] As shown in FIG. 10, the behavior plan generating unit 150 specifies the outer coordinate (x71, y71) and inner coordinate (x72, y72) as pairs of coordinates existing in the vicinity of the obstacle OB, and the outer coordinate (x81, y81) and inner coordinate (x82, y82). Then, the behavior plan generating unit 150 specifies the outer coordinate (x81, y81) and inner coordinate (x82, y82) as pairs of coordinates farther from the host vehicle M than the obstacle OB among the specified pairs of coordinates. The behavior plan generating unit 150 specifies the distance on the travel route RT1 to a position where the line segment LS2 connecting the specified outer coordinate (x81, y81) and inner coordinate (x82, y82) intersects with the travel route RT1. Here, the behavior plan generating unit 150 has already specified each coordinate surrounding the recognition area AR1 in the above-mentioned process. Therefore, based on the result of the above-mentioned processing, the behavior plan generating unit 150 can specify the position where the line segment LS2 and the traveling route RT1 intersect. In addition, since the coordinates of the traveling route RT1 are indicated in the traveling route information 181, the behavior plan generating unit 150 can specify the distance on the traveling route RT1 to the position where the line segment LS2 and the traveling route RT1 intersect as the distance to the obstacle OB.

[0087] According to this configuration, the behavior plan generating unit 150 and the second control unit 160 can control the speed of the host vehicle M to be constant until the host vehicle M approaches the obstacle OB. Furthermore, when the host vehicle M travels to the vicinity of the obstacle OB while controlling the speed of the host vehicle M to be constant, the behavior plan generating unit 150 and the second control unit 160 can prevent a collision with the obstacle OB based on the presence of the obstacle OB recognized by the recognition unit 130.

[0088] The behavior plan generating unit 150 may specify the distance to the obstacle OB with higher accuracy. In this case, the behavior plan generating unit 150 specifies the length of a perpendicular line extending from the line segment LS2 to the obstacle OB as the shortest distance d1 from the line segment LS2 to the obstacle OB. The behavior plan generating unit 150 specifies the distance from the host vehicle M to the obstacle OB as the distance on the travel route RT1 to the position where the line segment LS2 and the travel route RT1 intersect, minus the shortest distance d1.

[0089] The behavior plan generating unit 150 performs speed control according to the distance of the travel route RT1 so that the speed is constant in the straight line area LN and the curved area CV of the travel route RT1. When the behavior plan generating unit 150 determines that an obstacle OB exists in the recognition area AR1, the behavior plan generating unit 150 generates a target trajectory based on the identified distance of the obstacle OB so as to keep the distance from the host vehicle M to the obstacle OB at a predetermined distance, and causes the host vehicle M to travel.

[0090] According to this configuration, the behavior plan generating unit 150 and the second control unit 160 can prevent a collision with the obstacle OB by determining the distance to the obstacle OB with high accuracy. Also, the behavior plan generating unit 150 and the second control unit 160 can control the speed of the host vehicle M to be constant until the host vehicle M approaches the obstacle OB.

[0091] The behavior plan generating unit 150 may more accurately determine the distance to the obstacle OB based on the paired coordinates of the obstacle OB that are present in the vicinity of the vehicle M, instead of the paired coordinates farther from the vehicle M than the obstacle OB. In this case, the behavior plan generating unit 150 determines the length of a perpendicular line extending from the line segment LS1 to the obstacle OB as the shortest distance from the line segment LS1 to the obstacle OB. The behavior plan generating unit 150 determines the distance from the vehicle M to the obstacle OB as the sum of the distance on the travel route RT1 to the position where the line segment LS1 and the travel route RT1 intersect and the shortest distance.

[0092] The vehicle system 1 may include a camera instead of (or in addition to) the finder 10 as a configuration for detecting the distance to an object present around the vehicle M. The camera is, for example, a digital camera using a solid-state imaging element such as a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) or a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor). The camera is attached to any location of the vehicle M. For example, when imaging the front of the vehicle M, the camera is attached to the top of the front windshield or the back of the rearview mirror. When imaging the rear of the vehicle M, the camera is attached to the top of the rear windshield. When imaging the right side or left side of the vehicle M, the camera is attached to the right side or left side of the vehicle body or the door mirror. The camera may be provided for each direction in which the image is captured. In this case, the front camera, rear camera, etc. that captures the front or rear may be more sensitive than the side camera that captures the right side or left side. The camera periodically and repeatedly captures the surroundings of the vehicle M, for example. The camera may be a stereo camera.

[0093] The vehicle system 1 may include a radar device instead of (or in addition to) the finder 10 as a configuration for detecting the distance to an object present in the vicinity of the host vehicle M. The radar device radiates radio waves such as millimeter waves to the vicinity of the host vehicle M and detects radio waves (reflected waves) reflected by the object to detect at least the distance and direction of the object. The radar device is attached to any location of the host vehicle M. The radar device may detect the position and speed of the object by an FM-CW (Frequency Modulated Continuous Wave) method.

[0094] In addition to detecting objects in the horizontal XY direction, where one horizontal direction is designated as X and the other direction is designated as Y, the finder 10 may also detect objects in the vertical direction Z, which is perpendicular to the horizontal XY direction.

[0095] In the above, the case where the finder 10 is attached to the front end of the host vehicle M has been described, but this is not limited thereto. The finder 10 may be attached to any location of the host vehicle M as long as it can detect an object present in front of the host vehicle M. In this case, the recognition unit 130 corrects the detection result of the finder 10 according to the position where the finder 10 is attached. In detail, the recognition unit 130 corrects the detection result of the finder 10 so as to cancel the amount of deviation from the center of the tip of the host vehicle M and the amount of deviation from the center of the host vehicle M in the width direction.

[0096] The vehicle M may travel along a route determined by a navigation device instead of (or in addition to) the travel route RT1 indicated in the travel route information 181. The navigation device includes a navigation HMI (Human Machine Interface), a route determination unit, and first map information. The route determination unit, for example, determines a route on a map from the position of the vehicle M specified by the GNSS receiver 30 (or any input position) to a destination input by the occupant using the navigation HMI (Human Machine Interface) by referring to the first map information. The first map information is, for example, information in which a road shape is expressed by links indicating roads and nodes connected by the links. The first map information may include curvature of the road, POI (Point Of Interest) information, and the like. The route on the map is output to an MPU (Map Positioning Unit). The navigation device may perform route guidance using the navigation HMI based on the route on the map. The navigation device may be realized by, for example, a function of a terminal device such as a smartphone or a tablet terminal owned by the occupant. The navigation device may transmit the current position and the destination to a navigation server via a communication device that communicates with devices external to the vehicle M, and obtain a route equivalent to the route on the map from the navigation server.

[0097] The MPU includes, for example, a recommended lane determination unit, and stores second map information in a storage device such as a HDD or a flash memory. The recommended lane determination unit divides the route on the map provided by the navigation device into a plurality of blocks (for example, by dividing it into 100 m intervals in the vehicle travel direction), and determines a recommended lane for each block by referring to the second map information. The recommended lane determination unit determines, for example, which lane from the left the vehicle should travel in. When a branch point is present on the route on the map, the recommended lane determination unit determines a recommended lane so that the host vehicle M can travel along a reasonable route to proceed to the branch point.

[0098] The second map information is map information with higher accuracy than the first map information. The second map information includes, for example, information on the center of a lane or information on a boundary between a lane. The second map information may include road information, traffic regulation information, address information (address and zip code), facility information, telephone number information, and the like. The second map information may be updated at any time by the communication device communicating with another device. The action plan generating unit 150 executes the above-mentioned various processes with the recommended lane determined by the MPU as the travel route RT1. According to this configuration, the action plan generating unit 150 and the second control unit 160 can also apply the above-mentioned processes to a travel route RT1 other than the travel route RT1 previously determined by the travel route information 181.

[0099] The process in which the determination unit 140 determines the recognition area AR1 and the process in which the action plan generation unit 150 determines whether or not an obstacle OB exists in the recognition area AR1 may be executed by separate devices. In detail, the automatic driving control device 100 may be configured by a determination device having a control unit including the determination unit 140, a first control unit 120 including the recognition unit 130 and the action plan generation unit 150, and a vehicle control device including the second control unit 160. With this configuration, the vehicle system 1 can distribute the processing load between the process related to the determination of the recognition area AR1 and the process related to the determination of the presence or absence of an obstacle OB.

[0100] The position of the vehicle M may be identified using a ranger system or SLAM (Simultaneous Localization and Mapping) instead of (or in addition to) the GNSS receiver 30. [Explanation of symbols]

[0101] 1...vehicle system, 10...finder, 20...vehicle sensor, 30...GNSS receiver, 80...driving operator, 100...automatic driving control device, 120...first control unit, 130...recognition unit, 140...decision unit, 150...action plan generation unit, 160...second control unit, 162...acquisition unit, 164...speed control unit, 166...steering control unit, 180...storage unit, 181...travel route information, 200...traveling drive force output device, 210...brake device, 220...steering device, A D ...Obstacle detection deceleration, AR1...Recognition area, CV, CV1, CV1-1, CV1-2, CV2, CV2-1, CV2-2, CV2-3...Curve area, D D ...Stopping margin, DV, DV1, DV2, DV3, DV4, DV5, DV6, DV7...Division position, E1...End position, ECU...Brake, ECU...Steering, HMI...Navigation, L D …detection distance, LN, LN1, LN2, LN3…straight line area, LS, LS1, LS2…line segment, M…vehicle, OB…obstacle, RT1…travel path, T F ...Dry running time, v...Running speed.

Claims

1. A recognition unit that recognizes a surrounding situation of the host vehicle; A driving control unit that causes the host vehicle to travel on a travel route that indicates coordinates along which the host vehicle is to travel, based on a recognition result of the recognition unit; A determination unit that determines a recognition area based on a travel route of the vehicle, The operation control unit is determining whether or not an obstacle is present within the recognition area based on a recognition result of the recognition unit, and when it is determined that the obstacle is present within the recognition area, performing speed control to maintain a predetermined distance to the obstacle; The determination unit is determining, as the recognition area, an area in a straight line region of the travel route, from a start end to an end end of the straight line region, in which a right end in front of the host vehicle and a left end in front of the host vehicle are located; In a curved region of the travel path, when the drive wheels of the host vehicle are rear wheels, an area where the end of the width direction of the front of the host vehicle that is on the outer side of the travel path and the end of the drive wheels of the host vehicle that is located on the inner side of the travel path are located is determined as the recognition area, and when the drive wheels of the host vehicle are front wheels, an area where the end of the drive wheels of the host vehicle that is on the outer side of the travel path and the end of the width direction of the front of the host vehicle that is on the inner side of the travel path are located is determined as the recognition area. A vehicle control system comprising:

2. The determination unit determines, as the recognition area, an area surrounded by four coordinates: a first coordinate indicating a left end in front of the host vehicle at a start end of the straight line region, a second coordinate at which a right end in front of the host vehicle is located, a third coordinate indicating a left end in front of the host vehicle at a terminal end of the straight line region, and a fourth coordinate at which a right end in front of the host vehicle is located. The vehicle control system of claim 1 .

3. In a curved region of the travel route, the determination unit When the driving wheels of the host vehicle are rear wheels, a fifth coordinate indicating an outer end of the travel path among the widthwise ends of the front of the host vehicle at the start of the curved region; a sixth coordinate indicating an end of the drive wheels of the host vehicle that is located on the inside of the travel path at the start of the curved region; a seventh coordinate indicating an outer end of the travel path among the widthwise ends of the front of the host vehicle when the vehicle travels at a position where the curvature of the curved region is higher than other positions; an eighth coordinate indicating an end of the drive wheels of the host vehicle that is located on the inside of the travel path among the drive wheels of the host vehicle when the vehicle travels at a position where the curvature of the curved region is higher than other positions; a ninth coordinate indicating an outer end of the travel path among the widthwise ends of the front of the host vehicle at the end of the curved region; and a tenth coordinate indicating an end of the drive wheels of the host vehicle that is located on the inside of the travel path at the end of the curved region; When the driving wheels of the host vehicle are the front wheels, The recognition area is determined to be an area surrounded by six coordinates: a fifth coordinate indicating an end of one of the drive wheels of the host vehicle that is located on the outside of the driving path at the start of the curved region; a sixth coordinate indicating an inner end of the driving path among the widthwise ends of the host vehicle at the start of the curved region; a seventh coordinate indicating an end of one of the drive wheels of the host vehicle that is located on the outside of the driving path when the host vehicle travels at a position where the curvature of the curved region is higher than other positions; an eighth coordinate indicating an inner end of the widthwise ends of the host vehicle when the host vehicle travels at a position where the curvature of the curved region is higher than other positions; a ninth coordinate indicating an end of one of the drive wheels of the host vehicle that is located on the outside of the driving path at the end of the curved region; and a tenth coordinate indicating an inner end of the widthwise ends of the host vehicle at the end of the curved region.

3. A vehicle control system according to claim 1 or 2.

4. the determination unit determines the recognition area within a range recognized by the recognition unit, in which a total number of coordinates of vertices of the straight line region and / or coordinates of vertices of the curved region is a predetermined number. A vehicle control system according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. the driving control unit converts the recognition area into polar coordinates based on the coordinates of the vertices of the straight line area and / or the coordinates of the vertices of the curved line area, and determines whether or not the obstacle is present within the recognition area based on the recognition area converted into the polar coordinates and the recognition result of the recognition unit. A vehicle control system according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. The driving control unit calculates a distance of the travel route based on coordinates indicated by the travel route, and controls the speed of the host vehicle to be constant in the straight line region and the curved region. A vehicle control system according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. When the driving control unit determines that the obstacle is present within the recognition area based on the recognition result of the recognition unit, the driving control unit controls the host vehicle by determining, as a distance from the host vehicle to the obstacle, a distance to a position where a line segment passing through a coordinate of a vertex of the straight line region or a coordinate of a vertex of the curved region that is present near the obstacle and that is closer to the host vehicle than the obstacle, intersects with the driving path. A vehicle control system according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. When the driving control unit determines that the obstacle is present within the recognition area based on the recognition result of the recognition unit, the driving control unit controls the host vehicle by determining, as a distance from the host vehicle to the obstacle, a distance obtained by subtracting a distance from a distance to a position where a line segment passing through a coordinate of a vertex of the straight line region or a coordinate of a vertex of the curved region that is present near the obstacle and the driving path intersects with the obstacle, the distance from the line segment to the obstacle. A vehicle control system according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

9. A determination device having the determination unit; A vehicle control device including the recognition unit and the driving control unit. A vehicle control system according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

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